Tips outlined to avoid herbicide drift CHICAGO - The only a ,., ( ..ay to sidestep problems with soybean drift injury when spraying corn foi broadleaf weeds is to make the application before soyb.t through the ground. That’s the advice Extension specialists can offer for totally eliminating con cerns over herbicide drift. "Our best suggestion is to spray for broadleaf weeds before corn is five inches high,” says lowa State University Extension weed conti ol ' specialist Mike Owen. “There is a good chance that soybeans will not be emerged at that time, and overall weed control can be im proved.” Early corn planting and early broadleaf control are also part of the recommendations of William Meggitt, Extension weed control specialist with Michigan State University. “If you can plan to apply broadleaf herbicides on com prior to the five-inch stage at an early date, you’ll rarely have problems with bean damage,” Meggitt says. The specialists feel that even if soybeans are emerged and minor drift occurs early, soybeans will come out of the stress with little or no actual yield reduction. Known by reputation as a crop that bounces back from stress as well as any, it’s still best to avoid the situation altogether, if possible. Later applications Generally, the smaller the spray MID-SOUTH TRACTOR PARTS, INC. Rl 280x316 Sikeston, M 063801 Mid-West's Largest and Most Complsta Inventory CALL TOLL FREE OutofStete 1-800-325-7070 Missouri Res 1-800-382-0929 We Ship Anywhere droplet size and the higher the wind speed, the greater the distance spray particles can travel. Wind velocities are usually lowest in early morning or late in the day, so applications made at those times of the day could help to reduce actual occurence of drift. Owen suggests several operational procedures which can help to reduce the percentage of “fines” in the spray emission. Low spray pressure, high water volume, and proper nozzle selection all play important roles. “For example, if you choose hollow cone nozzles, use a pressure of 60 p.s.i. and apply 10 gallons of water per acre, you’re going to produce a very high percentage of fines,” Owen says. “Reducing the pressure to about 20 p.s.i. and raising the gallonage to 20 per acre would supply a significant reduction in the number of fines in the spray.” Steve Pearson, Extension assistant in agricultural engineering at the University of Illinois, says switching to a dif ferent size or type of spray nozzle can also help. Special drift reducing nozzles are commercially available in Spraying Systems’ LP (low pressure) flat fans or HiKSHEY Hoe SvstpmH n i A / \ Hot Dip Galvanized Delavan's Raindrops One of the easiest and most ef fective methods of reducing drift is to keep the height of the boom low, Pearson adds. A height of 24 inches or less is generally sufficient. In addition, use of drift-reducing additives, such as Nalco-Trol (made by Nalco Chemical Com pany ) help reduce a percentage of fine spray particles produced. Additional Tips Richard Wilson, Field Scientist for Velsicol Chemical Corporation who has done extensive research on herbicide drift, offers some additional tips which apply when using Banvel herbicide near sensitive crops: Make application when there is some air movement in order to judge direction and distance of potential drift, but when wind is less than five m.p.h. Do not apply Banvel if daily temperature is expected to be higher than 85 degrees. Depending on wind direction and speed, leave an adequate buffer zone and spray that area under more suitable conditions. Aerial application equipment should never be used to apply Banvel when sensitive crops are in the immediate vicinity. The Systems Approach Hershey Equipment lets you put It all together TUT HERSHEY EQUIPMENT Q INC. Designers of Qualify Systems for Poetry, Swine end Stain Handling. Wilson emphasizes that all factors which affect spray particle size and movement pressure, water volume, environmental factors, etc. should be con sidered by the spray applicator in order to form an effective drift nrnconimn nt'orTrnn - ' i ~ --- i o’ Bush Hog honors Weaver CARLISLE Bob Weaver, Carlisle, Bush Hog representative for Pennsylvania, was recently named to the Bush Hog Million Dollar Club, an organization which recognizes representatives who have done over one million dollars in sales volume. Bush Hog is one of the largest manufacturers of farm im- PPG promotes Chandler PITTSBURGH Charles M. Chandler has been named to the new post of Atlantic district biochemicals sales manager for PPG Industries. He had been a PPG biochemicals field sales representative in the eastern United States since 1977. Chandler joined PPG in 1969 as a biochemicals field research and development specialist. He held Todays profit minded poultry, swine, and grain producers must think in terms of an automatic system. “System thinking” can help you plan away problems before you begin, or it can help you automate away problems you now have. of Hershey Equipment Co. is geared to provide all components of the system including equipment, plumbing, electrical and building, this will assure that the pieces will fit together to form a profitable system. SYCAMORE (NO. PARK 255 PUNE TREE DRIVE UNCASTER. PA 17603 <717)393-5807 ‘Good duft control procedures require using all of these techniques,” he says. They are all interrelated, and an ap plicator’s ability to prevent drift is really no better than the weakest compu '